The Export Resource Service (ERS) located at the Franklin Furniture Institute on the campus of Mississippi State University offers assistance to domestic furniture manufacturers to develop export markets and expand export sales. The ERS is a collaborative effort among the Franklin Furniture Institute (FFI) at Mississippi State University, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Mississippi Export Assistance Center (MEAC), and the Mississippi Development Authority’s (MDA) International Trade Office. The overall goal of the ERS is to provide the furniture industry with information and opportunities to help them begin and/or increase exporting activities to increase sales and grow their international market.

Today’s market for furniture and related products is worldwide. The customs value for furniture and related products’ imports to the U.S. in 2007 totaled $27.6 billion with China accounting for $15.2 billion of this total. FAS Value for domestic furniture and related products exported from the U.S. in 2007 totaled almost $3.9 billion. Canada, Mexico, and the UK made up the top three importers of American-made furniture in 2007, with Japan and China rounding out the top 5. Furniture products from the U.S. already have a high prestige factor in many other countries, thus providing domestic furniture producers with an opportunity to increase revenues and expand their breadth of market.

This service is targeted towards the Mississippi furniture manufacturers, suppliers, and stakeholders included in the furniture value chain. The ERS serves as a central distribution point for furniture related export opportunities, information, data, resources, and links to current trade data, statistics and sources of assistance to the local, regional, and national furniture industry. By disseminating relevant trade information a link is being created between potential foreign customers and domestic manufacturers. This resource center offers manufacturers comprehensive assistance with market assessment, problem solving, and logistical issues. Assistance is available to companies seeking to showcase their products at trade shows in other countries such as Milan, Dubai, and Shanghai. By collaborating with Federal and State agencies the ERS is able to encourage participation of international buyers at trade shows in the U.S. The ERS also works collaboratively with the North Carolina Department of Commerce to expand export opportunities to the region and nation.

The Mississippi Development Authority's International Trade Office (ITO) is the state sponsored international marketing program. Housed in the Global Business Division, the ITO provides a broad range of business programs and services to Mississippi firms including technical consultation, educational events and referrals on all aspects of international business. The program provides direct and indirect marketing assistance in markets around the world through organization of trade missions, trade fairs and exhibitions, customized itineraries and the hosting of inbound missions to Mississippi. The ITO also maintains representatives overseas in South America, China, Japan and Europe and serves as the state protocol office.

The U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Commercial Service, Mississippi Export Assistance Center is a federal government agency dedicated to helping small-to-medium sized companies with their exporting strategies. For over 20 years the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce has successfully brought together exporters and importers of U.S. goods and services around the world. The Mississippi Export Assistance Center assists local firms in exporting their products and services by providing comprehensive counseling and advice, through timely and accurate intelligence regarding foreign markets, by identifying qualified international buyers and representatives, by advocating on their behalf and by providing comprehensive solutions to whatever challenges they may encounter.